This is it - this is the BEST Chocolate Cheesecake you will ever have. It achieves the seemingly impossible: an unbelievably creamy, mousse-like texture despite being a baked cheesecake loaded with chocolate. Covered with a silky smooth ganache and a light chocolate whipped cream frosting, this cheesecake is a chocolate lover's dream, and certainly not for the weak of heart.
If you want an easier, no bake and eggless version, check out my incredible No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake. And for a classic, non-chocolate version, check out my Best New York Cheesecake.
The recipe with ingredients, quantities and instructions is in the recipe card at the end of this blog post.
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What makes this the best chocolate cheesecake
There are many chocolate cheesecake recipes out there, and I am sure they all have their positives. So let me focus on what truly sets this cheesecake apart: its otherworldly, incomparable texture.
In my (very strong) opinion, cheesecakes should be silky and creamy. But most baked cheesecakes are too dry, crumbly and dense, and this is often worse in chocolate cheesecakes. You want to add lots of chocolate for flavor, but chocolate hardens up as it cools down, making the cheesecake feel dry. So it is often a trade-off between taste and texture, and most chocolate cheesecakes end up sacrificing the texture.
Not this one, though! This cheesecake has lots of chocolate, tastes rich and decadent, but still has an ultra creamy, silky, almost mousse-like melt in your mouth texture. It's honestly hard to describe how luxurious and luscious it is, so I am going to suggest something different. I want you to google baked chocolate cheesecake recipes, and just compare the pictures with mine. You will understand exactly what I mean!
Elements of this cheesecake
This cheesecake has 4 main elements, the last 2 of which are optional (but highly recommended):
- Baked chocolate crust. This can be made with Oreos or any chocolate cream biscuits (I love Back To Nature) and serves as the perfect crispy base for the cheesecake
- Chocolate cheesecake batter: Made with just a handful of ingredients, this decadent batter lets the chocolate shine! I strongly recommend using a high quality chocolate for the best flavor
- Chocolate Ganache: After baking and chilling, the cheesecake is covered with a chocolate ganache because there's no such thing as too much chocolate
- Chocolate Whipped Cream: This whipped cream with cocoa powder is easy to whip, perfect for decoration, and adds a lightness to balance out the richness of the cheesecake
Best chocolate to use
For the cheesecake batter, I recommend good quality, semi-sweet chocolate (~55% cocoa) which is neither too dark nor too sweet. I personally like to use a mixture of Valrhona dark chocolate and milk chocolate, but you can also use semi-sweet chocolate bars. I suggest staying away from chocolate chips, as they have stabilizers in them which impact the texture of the cheesecake
The ganache for the top of the cheesecake can be made with any kind of chocolate you like, but keep in mind a dark chocolate ganache will give you the best visual contrast.
Tips to achieve the best chocolate cheesecake
Here are my best tips to perfect this cheesecake:
- Use high quality, full-fat ingredients. This is especially important for the chocolate, cream cheese (I recommend Philadelphia block cream cheese), and heavy cream (at least 35% fat)
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Take everything out of the fridge at least 2 hours before baking. This will ensure everything mixes properly and there aren't any lumps in the batter
- Never overmix the cheesecake batter. This is crucial to getting the silky creamy texture! We don't want to incorporate air into cheesecake batter, so after the first step of whisking cream cheese with sugar and salt, make sure to mix only until the ingredients are combined
- Scrape the bowl often. I recommend pausing and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl 2-3 times for each step of making the batter
- Do NOT overbake! This is crucial! Chocolate cheesecakes require less baking time because the chocolate helps firm up the cheesecake as it cools. The cheesecake should be quite jiggly in the middle when it comes out of the oven
- Don't rush the chilling process. Let the cheesecake chill in the pan overnight in the fridge for at least 12 hours
Video tutorial
Here is a short video tutorial for this recipe that I recommend watching:
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="Z7IK8GcB" upload-date="2024-09-06T03:03:06+00:00" name="The BEST Chocolate Cheesecake" description="How to make the best baked chocolate cheesecake" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
Process with photos
The detailed recipe is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but let's go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.
Grind the cookies and melted butter until they form a fine crumb, then press down tightly into the bottom of a pan. Bake:
Make the ganache for the batter by pouring hot cream over the chocolate and instant coffee, and stirring until smooth:
Whip the cream cheese, sugar and salt until smooth and creamy:
Break the eggs in a separate bowl and slowly whisk them into the cheesecake batter:
Sift in the cocoa powder and mix:
Lastly, mix in the chocolate ganache. Transfer the batter to the pan with the crust and bake in a water bath:
Chill the cheesecake overnight, then carefully remove from the pan:
Decorate with chocolate ganache and chocolate whipped cream. Serve & enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Let the cheesecake bake for 60 minutes. Then partly open the oven door and gently shake the pan - it should have a cooked film on top, be firm on the edges but quite jiggly in the middle. If it feels too jiggly or liquid, you can give it 5-10 more minutes. A chocolate cheesecake sets more than a regular cheesecake in the fridge due to the chocolate, so you don't need to bake it for as long.
If you are a fan of dark chocolate, you can definitely use all dark chocolate in the batter (it will be quite rich). I don't recommend using all milk chocolate, though, as the cheesecake will become too sweet. If you like milk chocolate, use a mixture of milk and dark.
No, you cannot skip the eggs in this cheesecake as they help the batter cook and set. However, if you want an eggless recipe, check out my no bake chocolate cheesecake recipe!
Yes, you can skip the coffee, although I think it adds to the chocolate flavor.
The lumps are probably from unmixed, cold cream cheese. Make sure your cream cheese is fully at room temperature, and continuously scrape the bowl while making the batter to ensure any lumps mix in. Also make sure to sift the cocoa powder before adding it into the batter! Cocoa powder is naturally lumpy, too.
Cracks on cheesecake are usually an indication of sudden temperature changes. Make sure you don't open the oven before the 60 minute mark, and only open once to check for doneness. After this, allow the cheesecake to first cool at room temp before transferring to the fridge so the cooling process is also slow.
Make sure to use a high quality springform pan with a tight seal. In addition, wrap the outside of the pan with 2 large sheets of aluminum foil for an added layer of protection so the water does not seep into the pan.
A grainy ganache is an indication of heating the chocolate too much too fast. Chocolate is sensitive to heat, so make the ganache over a double boiler to prevent it from splitting.
Yes, you can bake this cheesecake 1-2 days in advance, but I recommend decorating with ganache and whipped cream right before serving.
Keep the cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze this cheesecake if you want to store it for longer, but freezing does impact the texture!
Related recipes
If you like this recipe, also check out the following!
The Best Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
- Total Time: 12+ hours with cooling
- Yield: 12-14
Description
The best chocolate cheesecake with an unbelievably creamy, mousse-like texture served with ganache and chocolate whipped cream
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust:
- 285g Oreo or Chocolate Creme cookies (about 25 cookies)
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (70g)
Chocolate Cheesecake:
- 340g semi-sweet chocolate; you can use a mixture of dark and milk chocolate, or semi sweet chocolate bars
- 1 cup heavy cream (240g)
- 1 tsp instant coffee / espresso powder
- 24oz cream cheese (3 8oz packs or 680g), room temperature
- 200g granulated sugar (1 cup)
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 15g cocoa powder (about 2 tbsp)
Chocolate Ganache:
- 100g semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate of choice
- ½ cup heavy cream (120g)
Chocolate Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled (240g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder (about 20g)
Instructions
Chocolate Crust:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F (conventional, no fan), and prepare a 9" springform pan by brushing a light coating of butter on the bottom and side, and lining with parchment paper. Cover the outside bottom and edges of the pan on the outside with 2 large sheets of aluminum foil tightly
- For the crust, grind the Oreo cookies in a food processor until they make a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and grind again. Transfer to the pan and press down firmly to form a tight crust. I use a measuring cup for this step, and press quite firmly as that helps make sure the crust isn't soft or crumbly
- Bake the crust for ~8 minutes. Remove from the oven, and turn down the temperature to 325F
Chocolate Cheesecake:
- Add the chocolate and instant coffee to a heat-proof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Cover and rest for 5 minutes, then stir until you have a smooth ganache. Set it aside to cool down
- Add the cream cheese, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for ~3 minutes until the mixture is creamy and fluffy. Make sure to scrape the edges and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula a few times through this process, as that will help ensure there aren't any lumps left behind
- Break the eggs in a separate bowl and lightly whisk to break the yolks. Pour into the batter along with the vanilla, and mix on low speed just until the eggs are combined into the batter. Avoid overmixing at this stage
- Sift in the cocoa powder and mix slowly until just combined, scraping the bowl again
- Add the ganache and whip until just combined. Scrape again
- Transfer the batter to the pan with the crust. Gently tap the pan several times on your counter to get rid of any air bubbles
- Place a large baking sheet in the pre-heated oven, and fill it with 1-2" of boiling water. Place the cheesecake pan inside this pan. The aluminum foil will prevent the water from leaking into the pan. Close the oven door
- Bake for 60-70 minutes at 325F (I do 65 minutes). The cheesecake is done when the edges are firm but the center is jiggly (see video)
- Remove the cheesecake pan from the oven carefully, and let cool at room temperature for ~2 hours. After that, transfer to the fridge to cool completely overnight (at least 12 hours)
Chocolate Ganache:
- The next day, prepare chocolate ganache for the top of the cheesecake by bringing the cream to a boil and pouring over the chocolate. Rest for 5 minutes, then mix until you have a silky ganache
Chocolate Whipped Cream:
- Prepare the chocolate whipped cream by adding all the ingredients into a bowl and whisking with an electric beater (or stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment) until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Avoid overmixing as it will cause the cream to split. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fit with a star tip of choice
Decoration / Assembly:
- Gently remove the cheesecake from the pan and carefully transfer it to a serving stand. Pour over the ganache once it has slightly thickened but is still runny. Spread it carefully and let some drip off the edges
- Pipe rosettes around the edge with the chocolate whipped cream
- Serve and enjoy!
Video Tutorial:
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="Z7IK8GcB" upload-date="2024-09-06T03:03:06+00:00" name="The BEST Chocolate Cheesecake" description="How to make the best baked chocolate cheesecake" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
Notes
This cheesecake will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: American
LAURA F GROVER says
love this recipe 😋
made it twice!!!!
Zoha says
Aww thank you SOOO much!!!!
Sandra says
Hello Zoha, what are the names of the Valrhona chocolates you use in the cheesecake?
Thanks for sharing your recipes; they are incredible.
Thanks in advance.
Zoha says
for dark chocolate i always use either caraibe or guajana. and for milk, i use jivara
Hira lakhani says
why there is no sour cream as j remember your last chocolate cheesecake has sour cream
Zoha says
I've updated the recipe 🙂 Sour cream isn't needed
Natalie ste Croix says
sour cream i think would be better in there, doesn't one think?
Julie says
Easy. Delicious. Decadent. Everyone loved it!
Zoha says
AWH thanks so much!
Silvette says
Hi! can oreos be added into the batter to make it a chocolate oreo cheesecake?
Zoha says
Hi! I haven't tried that myself but would recommend trying that with my no bake chocolate cheesecake instead of the baked one
Shamistha says
Can I do this as a no bake cheesecake too?
Sharifa Choudhury says
For how long can this cake sit out before it has to go back into the fridge?
Mary senor says
can you use egg beaters or any other egg alternative
Heather buntich says
Absolutely devine. I made this for a group of 13 and everyone LOVED it. Mine didn’t crack but i skipped ganache and did a blackberry compote instead. Cooked for 62 minutes. This is a keeper.
Sanam says
Made it for our anniversary n it turned out really good. I added raspberry in the batter n ganache and was skeptical of the bake time but baked it for 65mins n it was fine.
I couldn’t take out the cake from the base though. Any idea what I could have possibly done wrong? I did put in the paper in the base but its just n a little hard too (not crumbly at all). I followed the measurements.
Thanks for sharing this detailed recipe! It was my first time making cheesecake and all the tips helped.
Sanam says
Figured to take it out n what had gone wrong too lol
Sumaira says
This recipe was amazing. Everyone loved it. Will definitely make again